Colorado Avalanche / NHL

Avs defenseman O'Byrne brings size, hunger to improve

Adam Foote is not expected to play tonight against Columbus and three other regular defensemen remain out, so the Avalanche is likely to see the quick debut of its newest acquisition, Ryan O'Byrne.

O'Byrne, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound defenseman with 128 games of NHL experience for Montreal, was acquired Thursday for prospect Michael Bournival.

O'Byrne will be available to play tonight, coach Joe Sacco said, adding depth to a defense ravaged by injuries, including to captain Foote.

"I've got a smile from ear to ear," O'Byrne said. "I'm real happy to come to an organization like Colorado. I want to become the player I can be, and I want that to be in Colorado."

"I think it's a good opportunity, a fresh start for him," Sacco said. "He's only 26, entering the prime of his career. He played in a system that preached defense first, so he'll be a guy who knows how to play in his own end. When I coached for Lake Erie, he played for Hamilton, in our own division, so I remember him. He's going to bring some size."

O'Byrne, who played at Cornell, was drafted 79th overall by Montreal in 2003. He played 55 games last season, compiling a goal and three assists and a minus-3. He dropped on the depth chart this season and was a frequent healthy scratch, playing only three games.

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"It was just a situation where I wasn't in the top six at the time. There's a lot of good defensemen on the team," O'Byrne said. "I know what I have to do to be successful, which is use my size to my advantage, get the puck up ice and make for a tough time for people when they step on the pond against us."

Bournival, drafted 71st overall by Colorado this year, had 24 points in 17 games for Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Avs enter Columbus a very banged-up team, though winger David Jones is expected to return after missing two games with a hand injury. He practiced Thursday, and Sacco said he is cleared to play.

Foote, out since Oct. 21 with a concussion, isn't quite ready to return, Sacco said. But Foote did practice fully, and there is a chance he'll return Saturday against Detroit.

"It's a lot better," Foote said. "We've got a lot of injuries right now, but the guys are playing hard. We just have to stick together and play together, and we can get through this."

Sacco said Peter Budaj will start against the Blue Jackets, coming off an 8-1 win over red-hot St. Louis Wednesday. Sacco said he might consider starting John Grahame against the Red Wings, but wouldn't decide anything until after the Columbus game.

Avalanche at Blue Jackets

5 p.m. tonight, ALT, 950 AM

Spotlight on Derick Brassard: The sixth overall choice in the 2006 draft, Brassard went 12 picks before the Avalanche's Chris Stewart. So far, Brassard has been an NHL disappointment, but he has five goals and seven assists through 14 games, so this could be a breakthrough season for the 23-year-old from Hull, Quebec.

Avalanche: Coach Joe Sacco said he hadn't decided who will take the place of the injured TJ Galiardi at left wing on the first line but is leaning toward Kevin Porter. . . . The Avs on Thursday signed a multiyear extension to serve as the affiliate of the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL. . . . Defenseman Ryan Wilson (blood clot) hopes to return next week. . . . The Avs still have not given a firm timetable on the return of goalie Craig Anderson. The team hopes it will be before the end of the month.

Blue Jackets: Journeyman Mathieu Garon has played much better in the Columbus net than the 2009 Calder Trophy winner, Steve Mason, but Mason was in the net for the Jackets' 8-1 rout of St. Louis on Wednesday. . . . The Jackets took exception to how close the Blues were to their dressing room while the Blues were fooling around with a soccer ball before Wednesday's game, and the teams exchanged words. No one flopped in the hope of drawing a yellow card, however. . . . Although the Blue Jackets are off to a 9-5 start, they're not drawing well, with an average home attendance of 11,741 through eight openings. That's 28th in the league, four spots behind the Avalanche (14,346).

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